Ataman Kodr

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Movie
German title Ataman Kodr
Original title Атаман кодр
Country of production USSR ( Moldovan SSR )
original language Russian
Publishing year 1959
length 76 minutes
Rod
Director Mikhail Kalik
Boris Ryzarew
Olga Ulitskaya
script Semen Moldovan
Oleg Pavlovsky
production Moldova film
music David Fedow
camera Vadim Derbenev
cut Ksenia Blinova
occupation

Ataman KODR (Original title: Атаман кодр , Ataman KODR ) is a Soviet feature film, directed by Mikhail Kalik , Boris RYTSAREV and Olga Ulizkaja from the year 1959 .

action

In a Bessarabian village in 1833 the maid Justinija made an appointment with the groom Todor Tobultok for the evening. When she does not appear, as agreed, he looks for his lover and can only free her from the grasp of her landlord Grigori Lelikowski at the last moment. He is overpowered and arrested by the summoned servants, only to be flogged the next day. In the middle of this punitive action, the officer Vasilij Bogdeskul arrives with his company in the village, interrupts the illegal punishment and gives the servant the opportunity to flee. But he wants to take revenge on the landlord and attacks him at night in his house. In the scramble, the servant Arnaut von Lelikowski is shot, Todor Tobultok is again tied up by several men and convicted of killing Arnaud. While Todor is being moved with other prisoners, the group manages to take the guards by surprise and break free.

Vasilij Bogdeskul befriends a countess and falls in love with her niece Natascha. However, the countess makes it clear to him that he can never marry her niece, since his sympathies with the Decembrists and friendship with some of them make his career considerably more difficult. But she will continue to give him a warm welcome to her home. He also takes part in the ball at which the countess announces Natasha's impending marriage to Lieutenant Mizul in front of the assembled guests. But she didn't expect Natascha to openly reject this connection and that she would marry Vasilij. After this scandal, the only thing left for the two of them to do is leave the house and run away with the carriage. On the way, they are attacked by a group of Heiducken who thought they were the hated boyar Kostake Myrsa. But Todor recognizes in the man on the carriage Vasilij Bogdeskul, the officer who released him from the corporal punishment, which is why he leaves him safe.

Originally the group consisted of the escaped prisoners who lived in the forest and who financed their lives through minor robberies. Todor gives these people a new goal in which he convinces them to fight like Heiducken for a better life in the future and to take revenge on the boyars for the injuries they suffered. But not all of them stick to it, because Alexa is robbing a farmer who has saved money for his granddaughter's dowry all his life and now wants to bring it to her. Todor, who has meanwhile been elected ataman , observes the scene, ensures that the old man gets his money back and sends Alexa away. However, the latter sneaks back into the trust of Todor, since he brings Justinija, who fled from Grigori Lelikowski's estate, to him. The reunion of the two lovers is celebrated with a big wedding in the Heiducken camp. Only Alexa is sad because he is also in love with Justinija.

The measures against the oppressors of the common people are becoming more and more successful. After receiving a warning, the boyar Myrsa was so afraid that he asked for the support of the gendarmerie when he heard what happened to the squire Lelikowski. This unity is wiped out on the way to him, and the Heiducken can get to him unhindered. Here they force him to write a letter in which he releases the poor population from all debts, and then they distribute the money found with him among the poor people.

Alexa is still quarreling with Ataman Todor and reports to First Lieutenant Mizul to promise him support in arresting Todor. For him it's not about money, but about love for Justinija. On his return to the camp, he lures the Heiducken into town with a report that a comrade has been flogged at the fair. This is also where Mizul and his police officers stop to take down the group. The Heiducken have to flee because the opponents are in the majority, but the Todor is arrested. Justinija then visits staff captain Vasilij Bogdeskul with his wife and asks him to do something for the release of Todor, which he also successfully initiates. For this he is arrested by his own people and Natascha guarantees her husband eternal loyalty when they say goodbye.

Alexa tries to win Justinija over in a conversation, but she refuses. Out of sheer annoyance, he reports to the gendarmerie where the Heiducken are. Open combat ensued and the Heiducken were wiped out with a large military contingent, their number becoming smaller and smaller. At a river there are only Todor and his wife who are standing behind a tree to defend themselves. While Todor shoots, Justinija reloads the guns until she is fatally hit by a bullet. Todor takes her in his arms and carries her to the river until he is wounded himself, he only manages a few meters until both sink into the water.

Production and publication

This color film had its world premiere on March 21, 1959 in Kishinev , the capital of the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic . The premiere for the rest of the Soviet Union took place on October 8, 1959 in Moscow. In the USSR, the film had about 22.4 million viewers.

In January 2019 the film was shown in the Berlin Arsenal cinema under the title Ataman Kodr in the original version with German subtitles. No other previous performances in Germany must be proven.

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